Hiro x Mute! Reader: Screaming Is Useless
by ijudgelove
Summary: Hiro has just won the SFIT Showcase Scholarship, and has also just lost his brother. He recruits his friends into superheroes to find out who started the SFIT fire - this includes you, his mute girlfriend. However, he realizes the danger he's put you in, so he takes you off of the team. He doesn't want to lose anyone else dear to him. But you're not going to sit aside this time.
1. Chapter 1

You stood amidst all the extraordinary devices and machines, ranging in different sizes, textures, colors, and tasks they completed. It was the showcase of SFIT, a competition between many graduated high school students trying to win a registration form into the college. Their inventions had to be amazing and creative enough to blow away Professor Callaghan's mind, which was pretty impossible. Your boyfriend's brother, Tadashi Hamada, had barely been able to do it several years ago, but still received the registration form. Now, it was Hiro's turn try to blow his mind away once again - and you were with the "nerd school" squad helping him.

Tadashi sighed at the surrounding displays. "Wow," he said admiringly, "a lot of sweet tech here today." He looked at Hiro, pushing a large, blue recycling bin. "How ya' feeling?"

"You're talking to an ex-bot fighter." he said smugly. "It takes a lot more than this to rattle me."

"Yep, he's nervous." Gogo said, and you laughed a wispy laugh with her while pushing two more bins behind them.

"You have nothing to fear, little fella!" Fred said enthusiastically.

"Aww, he's so tense!" said Honey Lemon.

Hiro shrugged his shoulders. "No I'm not!"

She ignored him. "Relax, Hiro! Your tech is amazing!" She poked her head between you and your gum-popping friend. "Tell him, Gogo!"

"Stop whining, woman up."

As they continued to comment on his work, and as Wasabi offered breath mints and deodorant, you stared at the bins. His microbots were the best invention he'd made yet. You helped him with the idea of making them, after you'd went with Aunt Cass to help pick him and Tadashi up from the police station. Thinking of that day made you angry that you weren't able to scold him; all you could do was cast your death glare. Not fun, being a mute.

Still, you were happy with the fourteen-year-old Einstein, glad that he had asked you out two months ago, glad that he was labeled as "yours." He made you forget the cons of being a mute, not being able to tell him that he's funny, or that he's amazing, at least not with your mouth (Hiro was still trying to master sign language). You didn't have to say "I love you" for him to understand - you could peck him on the cheek, and that was all he needed.

You all arrived behind the stage curtain, setting the bins in a single row. They were still giving him encouraging words, when the announcer called Hiro up to the stage. He looked frozen with worry.

"Okay okay - photo, photo!" she grouped everyone to fit in the lens of her phone. "Everybody say Hirooooo!"

Hiro smiled nervously as everyone echoed Honey Lemon's command, while you simply mouthed his name. They smothered him in hugs, saying thinks like "Of course Callaghan will love you!" and "Knock 'em dead! and Fred, saying "SCIENCE YEAAHHH!" Then they disappeared into the audience, leaving you, Hiro and Tadashi alone.

Tadashi held up his fist to Hiro, waiting for a responding bump. "Alright, bro, this is it."

Hiro stared off into space, ignoring the both of you as you stood in front of him.

"C'mon, don't leave me hanging..." Tadashi's expression turned worried when he saw his younger brother's face. "What's going on?"

Hiro sighed heavily. "I... really... want to go here."

Tadashi smiled. "Hey," he said softly, "you got this." He shoved him playfully on the shoulder before joining the rest of his friends.

Hiro was just about to walk on the stage, when he turned back to you. "Anything you want to say before I go up?"

You frowned sarcastically at the pun. Frankly, Hiro was never good at them.

You reached up on your toes and gave him a long, warm kiss. You loved it when he held you like this, as if speech wasn't a necessity of life in these moments. He wrapped his arms around your waist as you ran your fingers through his messy, black hair. A million words were traveling through your heart to Hiro's as the two of you just stood there in the kiss. You felt as if this would be the last time you would get to kiss him before all his fan girls would overthrow you after the showcase.

You slowly pulled away from his lips, keeping your hands around his neck. _I love you, Hiro,_ you signed, _now get out there and beat the other contestants' butts!_

Hiro laughed, and you hugged him one more time. He ruffled your hair before walking onto the stage.

You hurried to join the rest of the nerd gang, greeted first by Tadashi.

"Seems like he took a good luck charm with him onto the stage, huh?" he said, cocking his head towards you. You smirked and punched his side. _Oww..._ your fingers cracked and throbbed at the impact with his titanium-like muscles.

Just then, your attention came back to the stage, when Hiro nervously cleared his throat. You held your breath, waiting for the next series of events to unfold - hopefully in a successful manner.

 _Just breathe, Hiro, just breathe._


	2. Chapter 2

The noise of approval and applause rang through the showcase as Hiro finished his presentation. He bowed to the audience, along with his giant display of microbots, and people began to whistle and cheer. You clapped your hands excitedly, whisper-shouting Hiro's name. Honey Lemon and Wasabi were giving high fives to the surrounding viewers, and Fred was screaming in excitement. Gogo blew a big, fat, pink bubble and clapped her hands. You peeked to your left, finding Professor Callaghan's expression praising.

You ran behind the stage as your boyfriend hopped down. You were the first to reach him, as you embraced him warmly and mouthed congratulations to him. He held you tight around his waist and sighed in joy. You could feel his grin against your neck.

Tadashi and the rest of the gang followed you, running to Hiro and engulfing the two of you in a group hug. Cass was screaming to the people beside her, saying, "I love my family!" Tadashi and Hiro completed their ritual handshake.

"They loved you," she said, grabbing Hiro by the shoulders, "You were amazing!"

"Thanks," said a now shy Hiro. You smiled at his flaming cheeks, wishing you could be half as smart as your scientist, your Hiro.

"Yes."

You jumped at the unfamiliar voice behind you, and turned to see none other than Alistair Krei. _The_ Alistair Krei.

Your lungs reacted to this appearance of a billionaire by taking in staggered breaths. He was rubbing his hands together, with his secretary by his side. His hair was slicked back in a neat way, and his face was planning for negotiation.

He walked towards Hiro, with a confident grin plastered on his face. "With some development, your microbots could be a useful source of technology for KreiTech. May I?" He pointed to the small microbot in Hiro's hand.

Hiro gasped. "You want _my_ microbots in your construction?!" he exclaimed, handing the tiny mechanism to Krei as a slow smile crept up onto his face. Tadashi stepped back and glowered at Krei.

"Indeed, I do." Krei said with a smirk.

Professor Callaghan suddenly walked up beside Krei, his arms folded over his chest. "Mr. Krei is right, Hiro. Your microbots are an inspiring technology. You can continue developing them," he sent a quick glare to Krei, "or you can sell them to a man who is guided by his own self-interest."

Krei sighed. "I understand how you feel about me, Robert, but this shouldn't interfere-"

"The decision is yours, Hiro. But you should know that Krei has cut corners and ignored safe science to get where he is." The professor said sternly.

"This is not true!" said Krei, chuckling slightly. "I trust in your microbots for my construction." he then smirked. "Hiro, I'm offering you more money than you could imagine."

There was a brief pause in the conversation. Hiro was looking at Krei, his eyes wide with the thought of being able to pay off his Aunt's debts, not to include the end of bot fighting. You saw the anxiety on his face with the decision before him, as his gaze flickered between Krei and Callaghan. Tadashi was looking at him from behind, with a worried expression. You walked closer to Hiro, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Hiro looked at you, torn out of his thoughts by your sudden touch. You ran your fingers along his jawline. _Do what you think is right._

He looked at you, with a warm, thankful smile, his eyes glistening. Your heart melted at the sight of his chocolate-brown irides*, seemingly boring into your soul and radiating a warmth that could only be felt by his gaze. You smiled at him and sighed softly, before backing up, reluctant to let him give his decision.

"I appreciate the offer, Krei," he turned back to the billionaire, "but my microbots are not for sale."

Krei faltered. "I thought... you were smarter than that." his look turned from a weak smile to a dissatisfied stare. He turned to walk away from the group, bidding a single goodbye to Callaghan. "Robert..." he said. He turned sharply on his heels, with his secretary close behind him, glaring at you all.

You held your breath. Even when Krei was flustered, he could still make a proper, graceful exit.

Suddenly, you realized that he still had Hiro's microbot. _Krei!_ you whisper-shouted (sometimes you were oblivious to the fact that you were mute, forgetting that Hiro was the only one who would listen closely for your whispers). You began to walk after him, snapping your fingers impatiently, when Tadashi carefully held you back.

"That's my brother's." he stated firmly.

Krei turned around, a smile forming on his lips. "Oh, right. I almost forgot." He pulled the tiny robot from his pocket and tossed it towards Hiro, before turning back and walking away.

Once Krei was out of sight, the tension in the air began to fade. Hiro's shoulders slumped; Tadashi was looking at him with approval on his face. Callaghan washed off his grimace, turning towards the genius.

"I look forward to seeing you in my classes." he stated, handing a small envelop to Hiro. He smiled and greeted Tadashi goodbye, before disappearing into the crowd.

Hiro laughed. "No way! I made it!" he exclaimed. Once again, everyone surrounded him with hugs and cheered. You stood back and smiled, wondering how you ever crossed paths with this amazing brainiac of yours.

He grinned happily at everyone, thanking them for their congratulations. He then looked at you, his eyes setting on the girl - _his_ girl - who changed his life forever, only three months ago. He embraced you in a tight hug, and you wrapped your arms around his neck, whispering softly into his ear. His mop of black hair tickled your eyes, making you giggle in his arms.

Nothing else could ever ruin this perfect night.


	3. Chapter 3

People wandered around the showcase, viewing all of the machines and contraptions, while you and the group congratulated Hiro. He had a shy smile on his face, his cheeks a hint of pink. You could hardly hear what he was mumbling over Honey Lemon and Fred being so loud.

"Alright!" said Aunt Cass, "Dinner's on me!"

"Yes!" Fred fist-bumped the air. "Nothing's better than free food! Unless it's moldy..."

Hiro held your hand as everyone headed out the door. The cool air gently hit you in the face, cooling down your flushed face. The stars calmly lit the night sky as people exited the building. SFIT balloons were floating weightlessly in the sky, guided by a small breeze. Cass and the others were merrily talking among themselves, heading towards their vehicles.

"Hey, Aunt Cass," said Tadashi, "Hiro and I are going to hang out for a bit. We'll catch up with you later."

Cass sighed. "Ok..." she ran to Hiro and engulfed him in a hug. "I love you! I love you both!" she exclaimed, before walking away.

You looked at Hiro. _I'll go join the others,_ you signed. Hiro gave you a confused look, not able to catch every motion of your hands. You mouthed the words to him.

"Ok," he smiled and kissed you on the forehead, holding his warm lips there for a few seconds. "Thanks for everything."

You signed a quick _No problem_ , and began to walk away, before he called you back.

"Hey, could you actually do me a favor?" he asked shyly. "Could you get Wasabi and the others to help pack up my microbots? I'll help in a second, I just need some time with Tadashi."

You nodded, turning sharply on your heels to find everyone. A silky warmth was still radiating through your head where Hiro had kissed it. You rubbed it softly and closed your eyes, cherishing every detail of that moment. Who knew? It might be the last time you would ever feel his lips on your skin.

You wandered around for a while, searching for any of your friends, mostly Cass; none of them were in sight, and of course you couldn't call out to them, so all you had to rely on was your sight. You went back into the convention building, walking through the many displays and technology, still not finding any of them. You were frustrated. It's as if they all ran away when Hiro mentioned the word 'favor'.

Pulling your phone out of your pocket, you were about to text Honey Lemon when you hatched an idea. They're microbots, right? So you would be able to pack them away yourself, using the neurotransmitter to guide them back into the recycling bins. Of course, you weren't sure what you had to do in your brain to complete the action of moving them, but it sounded like a fun experiment to try.

You walked around the devices, mentally judging them as you passed them. One of them, a contraption that did nothing more than clap a set of bionic hands, seemed completely useless. However, one that looked like an underwater elliptical, seemed useful, in case you started sweating too much in a workout; the thought of being completely doused in cold water made you smile: you marked that off on your list of things to do before going to bed.

Arriving at the stage, you found it completely rid of microbots, and the lights were off. You saw the recycling bins, but when you peered inside them, they were empty. Further inspection showed that the neurotransmitter was also missing.

Fear rose into your chest. Of course it wasn't your fault that everything was missing, but still, you could only imagine the anger that Hiro would feel when he saw that his microbots were missing. You looked under the skirt of the stage, searching for anything that resembled a microbot or a headband-looking-thing.

Nothing. Everything was gone.

You began to sweat from the anxiety. You pulled out your cell and sent a text to Hiro, telling him to help you find everything. Your fingers shook, and you had to try three times to press the send button. You tucked it back into your pocket, wiping the sweat from your forehead. _Why am I so nervous?_ you thought. It's not like you've never lost anything before now.

Suddenly, you heard clicking near the back of the building. It was getting louder. And louder. And it was simply annoying the heck out of you. Instinctively, your feet dragged you along to the sound, while you cringed at the annoying noise. It reminded you of your cousin, when she would pick the ends of her fingernails off, instead of just filing them or using a set of nail clippers.

The noise grew as you silently followed it, taking you to a side of the building that was rid of displays. You saw a path of microbots, laid out on the floor in a large square. Sweat continued to roll off your face as you reached out towards it, landing on the ground. You couldn't take it any more; the heat was unbearable. You were just about to head out, when the faint sound of screaming came from the north end of the building.

You pulled your attention away from the microbots, only finding a thick wave of flame about ten feet away from you. You froze instantly, watching the tongues lick their way across the ground, closer to you. Finally coming to your senses, you jumped back against the wall, looking for an exit nearby; you came up empty. Peoples' screams were getting louder, and the sounds of glass breaking and small explosions. Shards and debris flew at your face, successfully scratching your arms as you made a failing attempt to protect your eyes. You could live without a voice, but not without seeing your friends.

Hiro. _Hiro._

You suddenly realized that your boyfriend had probably walked into the building after getting your text. You jumped up and charged the fire; seeing him, even if it was the last time, was the only think that suppressed your fear of heat.

You were just about to leap over the flames, when your feet entangled with something unfamiliar. You fell to the floor, just then noticing the tears streaming down your face. You couldn't turn your head enough to see what had gotten a hold of you because of the smoke choking you. There was only one more thing you could think of to do.

You put two fingers in your mouth and blew a shrill, high whistle. This was a technique you had learned in sign language class, and a relative or friend of the person had to memorize the tone and volume of the whistle in case of an emergency. You doubted that anyone could hear you over the sound of flames licking the walls and glass crashing, but it was the only thing left. You whistled several more times, before your head grew light. You were giving up. Searing heat ran across your shoulders, making you attempt a scream, but having nothing more than a cough come out.

"Where are you?!"

Recognition. You knew that voice. It hit you in the head like a bullet. _Tadashi!_

You whistled again, more momentum and spark in your veins than before. The grip on your ankles tightened, dragging you back against a bumpy, curved surface. You grimaced as your back slammed into it, engulfing your head and back against the uncomfortable wall. Nonetheless, you kept whistling, ignoring the pain in your jaw and the flame-like sensation in your throat. This couldn't be it. Tadashi was out there searching for you. He would find you. He would fi-

Pain. Force. Heat. You were thrown out of your grasp, flung against the wall of the building. Before you even hit it, it broke open, revealing the outside. Your head slammed into a dumpster, and you heard a sickening crack somewhere in your body. You remembered faint glimpses of orange... red liquid... something black and furry... you could hear your name shouted from far away, but you didn't register it as you. _They're not calling for me... They've found me already... I'm over there, in the fire, right... I'm with Tadashi..._

_Didn't Tadashi come for me?_


	4. Chapter 4

Healing is a slow, miserable, painful, emotional, annoying, tiring and frightening process.

It had been five weeks since the fire, and here you were laying on your bed. The doctors told you to move your left arm and shoulder as little as possible, and to try to keep anything from rubbing against your upper left side of your back. That part of your body would be marred forever, but fortunately your arm would still be able to function as if nothing ever happened. Your face had slight burns, which would be gone in a few weeks, but it still stung with the left over heat. The rest of you was fine, besides two broken bones that had healed. You weren't worried about the bodily damage; you'd dealt with physical pain many times in your life.

What bothered you the most was your memories of that night: searing flames inches from your face, striking out at your left side, biting and tearing at your flesh. The scent of burnt hair and plastic, the feel of glass in your skin... You had terrible flash backs of those moments, replaying themselves in your mind for hours on end. Of course, you couldn't scream to let anyone know the emotional pain you were in; you would simply lay in your room, crying and cringing from the images in your head.

Not only these things, but one more: survivor's guilt. Technically, you had been responsible for the death of Tadashi.

Flashback

You heard voices hovering over you. Then they were at your left, then your right... you knew the one on your right. It made you happy and sad at the same time. Your nose burned from the scent of alcohol, mixed with other chemicals. Then you were on your stomach, and someone was rubbing something cold on your back... or was it hot? You didn't care, you were too tired. You tried to ask for a cold pack for your back, but no one would answer you. You couldn't see anything... were you blind now?

"... didn't make... nothing left... they'll both be... Jude's Cemetery."

You blinked. Was that... hair? You knew that hair... _Hiro?_

He looked at you worriedly. "Did you hear me?"

You shook your head. _What... what's going on?_

"You just asked me..." he stopped talking, choking on a word. "You don't remember just talking to me?"

 _No, I just woke up, didn't I?_

He stared at you. "You've been up for about thirty minutes now. Granted you were half asleep, but I thought - " he paused, staring at you with sorrow.

 _What, Hiro?_ you asked. _You thought I was what?_

Hiro's lips quivered, before tears began to spill over his cheeks. "I thought I had lost you." he leaned his face into the crook of your neck, wrapping an arm around you. "I thought you were gone. We didn't find you until two hours after the explosion, and even then..." he couldn't go on, as he broke down in sobs.

You softly hushed him, slowly moving your right arm to his back. You grabbed a fistful of his hair; you dreaded thinking that you would never be able to touch him again, to hear his voice. If you had died that night, you would have gone without a goodbye, or an I love you.

 _It's ok, I'm right here. I'm not leaving for a long time._ You rubbed his back softly, feeling the tears roll onto his shirt.

"The doctors said you would wake up, but... you were asleep for so long... I thought I had lost you too."

You pulled back, shocked. _Too?_ you asked. _What do you mean? Hiro, what happened?_

Hiro looked at you, his eyes red and puffy. You saw the pain in his eyes, remembering whatever had taken place the night of the fire. He inhaled, with his breath staggering and sharp. The tears kept spilling down both of your faces; Hiro was clutching your uninjured hand tightly, as if you would fly away from him at any second. You reassured him by holding his sweaty hand back.

He closed his eyes and sighed. "It's Tadashi... he's... he's gone."

The moment that Hiro had delivered the horrible news to you, only two thoughts came into your head. First, Tadashi was forever gone from this world. Second, it was all because of you.

You offered to go to the funeral with Hiro, hoping to pass on support to him. However, standing there, in front of the tombstone as the overcast sky growled, you only felt guilt within you. Tadashi went into the building, looking for _you._ He had been burned alive to save _you._ And it was all for nothing. You felt as though you were the murderer of a crime, showing up to the funeral to look innocent. Standing next to the relative of the deceased, when really, your hands were covered in the deceased's blood.

You came back to reality as you received a text from your best friend Gogo: _Any word from Hiro? He didn't answer our video message. I can only imagine that he'd talk to you._

Your thumbs flew across the screen of your Iphone. _No, nothing. I've called him about 100 times, but he won't answer. Idk what to do._

You honestly didn't know how to get Hiro to start living again. You had gone to the cafe, asking Cass about his behavior. She said the same thing every time: "I wouldn't be able to tell you; he hasn't come downstairs in forever."

The messages to Hiro in your phone were endless. He hadn't replied to any of them in four weeks. The last one he said was, _I should have followed him in there. I should have stopped him._

Suddenly, your mother opened your door. You both looked at each other silently. She had been just as worried about Hiro as you were. You shook your head, indicating the 'no news' factor to her. She sighed.

"Alright. Well, your father and I are going to Aunt Julie's for the weekend. Cass said she would be happy to have you over for the next three nights, so if you want to check up on him, you've got plenty of time. We'll call every day." She paused when she saw you looking at your feet. "Honey, are you ok?"

You shook your head. She walked over and sat next to you, carefully taking you in her arms. You hugged her back, ignoring the sore feeling in your left arm. You began to cry, thanking life for letting you live to see your mother again, to feel her warm touch on your head, to feel the vibrations of her voice in your chest. You never knew how much you actually appreciated her love until you had knocked on death's door and come back.

"Honey," she said, rocking you back and forth, "I know everything looks bad right now. But time can repair anything, heal everything. You just need to be there for the people you love, and they'll be there for you."

You pulled back and smiled at her. She brushed a stray hair out from your face before kissing you on the forehead. "I love you. Call me or your father if anything changes." You signed a quick goodbye to her as she walked out the door.

You fell back into your pillow and sighed. You knew you hear from Hiro before your parents came back. The last time you had seen him was at the funeral reception; he was sitting at the top of the stairs with you, not seeming to know you were even there. You had seen a tear fall slowly from his cheek, and you tried to brush it away. As soon as your finger touched his skin, he stood up and left you side, locking himself in his room. A strange pain caved in your chest when you heard the click of the doorknob, as if he had taken a part of you, and wasn't planning on returning it anytime soon.

You were snuggled up in one of his black sweatshirts he had given you a month after your relationship started. It still had some marks on the chest of black grease when he was helping fix Tadashi's bike. It smelled like gasoline and alcohol, smells that made you nostalgic, but none the less gave you a headache. There was a hole on the edge of the left sleeve, made by Hiro from picking at it too much. You were trying to think of all the punctures and stains he had put on the sweatshirt, trying to keep your mind off of the guilt and heartache.

Suddenly, your phone buzzed. You picked it up, with the caller ID reading Baymax. At first you were confused, but then you realized it might be Hiro. You answered with a small click of your tongue as greeting.

"Hello. I am Baymax." you sighed when the voice wasn't the one you were hoping for. "I am calling on behalf of - Hiro. He is going through stress from the loss of a loved one, and this is causing his hormones to react negatively in his body. His neurotransmitter levels are - low, and he needs support from - friends and family to boost these levels. I have contacted you and other - friends to help him. Thank you, and goodbye."

You hung up when the call ended, surprised that Hiro would activate Baymax at at time like this. You had expected that he would continue to sulk in his room until Cass had dragged him out, forcing him to hang out with you or the others. Even so, you knew something had happened in order for Baymax to activate, so you decided that it was necessary to give him and Hero a visit.

You threw on a pair of skinny jeans and Greek Fire t shirt, slipping on your favorite converse. You texted Wasabi to stop by your house to pick you up. you weren't sure if you were supposed to be worried or not, since Baymax was with Hiro, but there was still a twinge of fear in you. You sat on your front steps and waited for the little tan car to show up for you.


	5. Chapter 5

You were crammed into the small car with Wasabi, Fred, Honey Lemon, and Gogo. Wasabi was driving rather aggravatingly, trying to stay in the perfect center of his lane, driving the exact speed limit, avoiding every small fault in the road. Gogo had her head in her hand, loudly popping bubbles with her gum, sighing every now and then. Fred was asleep, and Honey Lemon was trying to text Hiro.

"He's not going to answer me." she said. "Do you think it's something really serious? Do you think he's done anything irrational?"

"Relax." said Wasabi. "Hiro's smarter than that. Plus, Baymax told us it was just for emotional support. It's probably just because of the fire."

Gogo hit her fist against the window. "Well, we would know for _sure_ if you would just hurry up!"

"First of all, don't hit my window. This car is old."

 _Yeah, no kidding._ you mumbled. Honey caught that and chuckled.

"Second," Wasabi continued, "I don't want to get a ticket. This is a city street, where lots of cars and pedestrians flow along."

"Wasabi!" yelled Gogo. "It's eleven at night! There are no pedestrians or cars out right now! You could bump up the speed a little. I'll pay the ticket if you get one. Just. Hurry. Up."

As the two continued bickering about traffic and pedestrian safety, you looked out of the window. It wasn't far from the Luck Cat Cafe, but it felt like driving cross country. You hadn't seen Hiro in forever, neither had you gotten a single text or voice message from him since the funeral. You were going to be downright lethal if he wouldn't talk to you tonight, now that everyone had taken time out of their sleep to see him.

Hiro was a stubborn person, but you knew how to crack him. Silence was the key (which was no doubt a natural technique for you). Your presence was the gentle pressure that urged him to vent out his sorrow or anger to someone, but he would immediately stop talking if anyone interrupted him to say "I know how you feel." or "Things will get better." Especially if they said, "Time will make you forget." You knew this from watching Cass try to talk to him about his bot fighting and gambling habits. You knew the point at which he would shut down; as soon as she said these words: "I know that you're in your rebellious stage, I had that stage when I was your age. And I know that not having your mom and dad here isn't helping at all." _Well, can you see that what you're saying isn't helping him either?_

But tonight was the last chance. If he wouldn't open up to you or the others, if it was solitude he wanted, it would be solitude that he would get. You weren't going to go chasing after him, trying desperately to ease his pain. As much as you loved him, he needed to learn how to survive emotional trouble the right way. Not by sulking in the corner for a month.

Suddenly, you saw a small figure running down an alley. You didn't find it strange until you saw a large, plush cushion bouncing after it. The way the cushion walked.. no, hobbled... and it's shape... you could also hear the sound of carbon fiber rubbing together... Baymax!

You reached forwards and quickly tapped Wasabi on the shoulder, tearing him away from his argument with Gogo and making him slam on the breaks. He looked at you and jumped. "What? Fred's not going to wake up. He could sleep through the apocalypse."

You frantically shook head and pointed down the alley. _I saw Hiro - and Baymax. They went down there._

 _"_ What?" said Gogo. "What would he be doing in this part of town at night?"

You shrugged, making Fred's head fall onto your shoulder. You grimaced and pushed it back up, not wanting to smell like B.O..

"Ok, then I'm going to find a safer way to get to him." Wasabi continued to roll forwards.

"No!" said Gogo. "He went down there, so we're going down there. We could lose him if we find a 'safer' way."

Wasabi glared at her for a few seconds, then backed up the car and headed down the alley. "If my tires get jacked-"

"Got it, ok." Gogo smacked her gum impatiently.

The car rolled slowly through the dark alley, bumping along and making Fred stir. The light posts cast an eerie glow on the apartment walls and brought up a twinge of fear in your heart. You've never been to this side of San Fransokyo, mainly because of its high crime rate and excessive bot fighting. You'd never had a reason to go, and you were worried at whatever business Hiro might have in this area.

Wasabi narrowed his eyes as the car pulled into an abandoned dock. "I dunno guys... this place looks sketchy. I think I've lost him too."

Honey Lemon sighed. Gogo groaned. "Nice goin'."

"Wait!" Fred shouted, making you jump. How long has he been awake?

Wasabi jumped as well. "Dude! What?"

Fred pointed between two large dumpster crates. "There... there's some _mysterious_ movement..."

You ignored his comical narrative voice and followed his finger to the dumpsters. There was a slight gap between them that revealed the San Fransokyo bay. All you saw was an old pier, with a couple of dying lamp posts. You were about to flick Fred on the arm when you saw a young boy emerge from the gap.

 _Hiro?_

"I told you it was him!" Fred threw his hands in the air, making Honey Lemon dodge them. "And look - Baymax!"

You whispered as loud as you could. _What's he wearing?_

"I dunno, but it looks stupid." said Gogo. Wasabi pulled up closer to Hiro, and the boy and robot froze in their tracks.

You all exited the car, staring at the now green and black Baymax. "Hiro?" said Honey Lemon.

He relaxed and faked a smile. "Hey guys! What are you doing here?" his voice faltered.

"More importantly, what are you doing here?" said Gogo.

"Me? Oh, I was just taking a midnight stroll."

"Hiro was trying to see where his - tiny robot was trying to go." Baymax responded.

"Baymax!"

Gogo circled the friendly marshmallow. "Aaand, why is he wearing carbon fiber underpants?"

"I also know - karate."

You looked at Hiro in shock. _Hiro, what the hell is going on with you?_ you signed. _Why do you ignore me for a month and then play dress up with Baymax? This has to stop now._

"Look, I know you guys are probably wondering what in the world I'm doing right now." Hiro placed a hand on your shoulder and tried to push you back to the car. "But you REALLY need to go. Now."

You threw his hand off of your shoulder, angry that he was now forcing you away from him rather than just avoiding you. _What is your problem, Hiro?_

"No Hiro," said Honey. She advanced towards him. "Don't push us away from this. Baymax called us all here for emotional support. So we're going to talk." You nodded in agreement with her, never breaking your gaze from him.

"Oh! I'll go first!" Fred shouted as everyone stood in a circle. You rolled your eyes.

"Ok. My name is Fred, and it has been thirty days since my las holY MOTHER OF MEGAZON!"

You were taken aback by his tone of voice, but as you followed his gaze upwards, you saw what he was panicking about.

Directly above the group hovered a large, gray recycling trunk. It was being held up by two stacks of - microbots? You couldn't tell from where you were, but that's what it looked like. The most striking object that made your knees buckle was the person. They had a red and white Kabuki mask on, with the rest of their body cloaked in black. The eyes were piercing down on you with hatred.

After what seemed like an hour of observing the scene, the man launched the trunk at you all. You fell on your back and held your arm out, bracing for the impact. You saw Gogo land a few feet next to you just before you squeezed your eyes shut. Wasabi let out a high pitched scream; you thought it had hit him first. You quivered and waited for the hit.

Time passed. Seconds? Minutes? You opened your eyes, coming face to face with a red superhero shirt. You looked up and saw Hiro, hovering over you protectively with his arms on either side, pinning you to the ground. His eyes were wide and alert, staring into yours. You looked back, alarmed, realizing that he could have just now been squashed with you.

But to your amazement, you looked around Hiro's shoulder to find Baymax on his back, holding up the trunk. To your relief, Wasabi was still in one piece and alive. The others were ok too, you saw as Hiro grabbed your hand and pulled you up. "Go go go!"

Everyone ran to the car, panicked and out of breath. Hiro shoved you into into the back seat and pulled the door shut behind him. Wasabi, eyes staring ahead for the man in the Kabuki mask, said "What about Baymax?"

"Don't worry! Baymax can handle that guy!" Hiro shouted, a hint of confidence in his shaky voice.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack, and you saw Baymax flying through the air like a kite. He landed heavily on the hood of the car, creating a dent above you. You let out a quiet attempt of a scream, squeezing Hiro's hand. He inhaled sharply at the pain.

"Oh no." said Baymax, rather calmly.

"Drive!" shouted Hiro.

Wasabi slammed on the gas pedal, forgetting about his car's handicaps. He turned out of the alley just in time to dodge another recycling bin, skidding into the city streets.

Gogo turned back to Hiro. "Explanation. NOW."

"The man in the Kabuki mask stole my microbots, he's responsible for killing Tadashi, I don't know who he is!" Hiro said, his voice cracking.

Without warning, you were nearly launched out of the windshield as Wasabi slammed on the brakes. Hiro grabbed the back of your shirt just in time to pull you back. Honey Lemon winced her forehead bumped into Wasabi's headrest.

"Wasabi!" Gogo exclaimed. "What are you doing?!"

"It's a red light!" his hunched shoulders told you that he was soon expecting a harsh response from Gogo.

"There are no red lights IN A CAR CHASE!" Gogo's voice was loud and aggravated. You were angry at him as well. If he was going to keep up his 'OCD Driving Habits' any longer, you would all be dead.

He made a sharp right, causing everyone in the back to squish Fred. You were tightly clutching the end of Hiro's jacket, and his hand was on your knee. You looked out the back window, watching the Kabuki man swiftly glide towards you on the microbots, like a blade in the water. You could hear your heart thump, trying to break out of your chest and find a safe place of its own.

"Are you using your blinker?!"

"What if there are cars around? I don't want to make them mad!"

Gogo narrowed her eyes and set her bubblegum on the dashboard. "That's it." She shoved Wasabi out of the driver's seat and plopped herself there. She floored the gas pedal, sending the car in a rush. The force threw you and Hiro back into the seat, pressuring your head into the hard cushion.

For the next minute or so, Gogo was dodging anything the Kabuki man threw at the car. She turned it vertically and catapulted off of a dumpster lid, landing on the bridge above. You were grasping your seat belt as hard as you could, with your other hand clutching Hiro's. Honey Lemon and Fred were watching Kabuki man as he attempted to smash everyone with a car.

"Look." Hiro said, making you jump. "Stop the Car. Baymax and I can handle this guy!"

Suddenly, an object slammed into the side of the car. The door flew off and disappeared behind you, and Hiro began to follow it. You tried to grab his hood to pull him back in, but you (unsuccessfully) screamed when the fabric slipped from your fingers.

A large, white arm grasped Hiro's hood just in time to keep his face from hitting the gravel. You gave a staggered exhale, grateful for having Baymax on the hood of the car. He propped Hiro back in his seat; his hair was a black, messy mop and his his face was white with fear. You quickly reached around him and grabbed his seat belt, fastening it and continuing to grasp it with your right hand.

Baymax ducked through the opening where the door should be. "Seat belts save lives. Buckle up!"

The car bumped roughly as you noticed microbots slowly enclosing around it. There was a small hole ahead of it, gradually growing smaller as the microbots came closer together. You panicked, realizing now that the Kabuki man wanted to capture you instead of kill you. For some reason, that seemed worse than killing you.

"We're not going to make it!" shouted Wasabi. He was shaking from all the anxiety.

Honey Lemon shrieked a little and grabbed Fred's arm. You couldn't do anything but keep your eyes glued to the little hope that was left of escaping from the black vortex of microbots. Gogo sped as fast as the car would go, keeping her determination ahead of her fear. Wasabi instinctively covered his face with his arms.

Suddenly, Gogo burst through the microbots, landing on the dock beneath the car.

"We made it!" Shouted Honey Lemon.

You began to feel relieved, until the car rolled off of the dock and into the ocean.

The contact of the car against the water made you hit your head against the top of the car (Honey probably had it worse, being a good foot taller than you). You felt Hiro pull your head against his chest; "Deep breath, hurry, take a deep breath!"

You inhaled as much as your lungs could hold just as the water reached your nostrils. You opened your eyes, watching everything move in slow motion, almost graceful; Honey's and Fred's hair moved as if they had a mind of their own, swimming lightly in the ocean. You let out a bit of air, watching Hiro unbuckle his seat belt and swim out towards Baymax. You struggled with yours as everyone else followed him, but the clip wouldn't budge from the lock. You pulled hard, feeling your lungs burn from the loss of air. You exhaled the rest of your lung contents through your mouth and ignored the taste of salt, though it nauseated you.

Hiro swam back, his face turning purple. He used a small knife to cut the strap, then quickly pulled you out from the car. You let him tug you to Baymax and grabbed on to the robot's cushy arm. He started to ascend to the surface of the water as your lungs cried violently for air.

As soon as your head broke above the water, you inhaled sharply and coughed. Your eyes were stinging and red, and you were crying, although you couldn't tell from already being wet. You shivered as Hiro wrapped an arm around your shoulder, panting heavily. "Are you ok?"

You nodded; of course you were lying, but what good would it do in telling him no? He couldn't do anything about it.

Baymax scanned all six of you. "Your body temperatures are - low. We need to find shelter and warmth."

Fred looked up. "I know just the place."

You were thankful that Fred finally was being helpful, and let sleep take you as Baymax floated back to the dock.


	6. Chapter 6

Your body shivered uncontrollably as you followed Fred, wherever he was leading you. Hiro was by your side, sweatshirt over one arm, holding your hand in his. He had offered to embrace you during the walk, thinking it would keep you warm from the chilled air. You had rejected it, however, because being embraced by a squishy, wet object didn't help anything; so you let him hold your hand tightly to somewhat reassure you.

Fred was leading the way, his arms crossed over his chest and his teeth chattering. You were thankful that he was taking you someplace that might be warm, that might have an old quilt with holes in it, or that might be down a brightly lit alley with a few trashcans for shelter. You had always thought that he crawled his way through life, working as a mascot and moving from street to street, living wherever he could. Not that you thought he was homeless... well, you sort of did. But you thought that he was homeless with other people.

So it took you by surprise when Fred turned towards a mansion on a rich-people neighborhood, as if nothing was wrong.

Everyone halted at the bottom of the steps as Fred walked on.

"Fred?! What are you doing?" said Wasabi.

He stopped for a minute, curious as to why he was looking at him like he was insane. "Oh, sorry - welcome to mi casa. That's French for 'front door'."

Honey faked a smile. "Actually, it's not..."

"Listen, _nitwit."_ Gogo pointed a sharp finger at Fred. _"_ A lunatic in a mask just tried to kill us! If you think this is funny - "

Suddenly, the large, golden doors opened enough for a well-dressed butler to emerge. His face was glued into a respectful expression, looking at Fred as if he were his... Master? You gawked in surprise.

"Good evening, master Frederick." said the butler.

 _Frederick?!_ you mouthed. _Who the hell is Master Frederick?_ You continued to stare at the scene at the top of the stairs, a non believer of Fred's sudden royalty.

"Heathcliff, my man!" Fred shouted enthusiastically. "Gimme some!" he said, as the butler obediently held out his fist and bumped it into his.

Everyone else mimicked you in your shock (except for Baymax). Gogo's finger was still pointed at Fred, but she was frozen in her tracks.

"C'mon in!" He said, beckoning you guys to follow. Wasabi reluctantly went first, and you followed behind Hiro, nodding a quick hello to the Butler.

Inside the mansion, you felt suddenly small and peasant-like; everywhere you turned were expensive sculptures, busts, even lamps that you supposed were made out of gold. You saw several paintings lined up on the wall, depicting Fred and his parents. You were afraid to leave a single wet footprint, afraid to let any of your soaked clothes drip onto the velvet carpet; there was a vague sense of guilt in your chest for simply being there. You looked over at Hiro, who was still gripping your hand, to find him gawking at the hall, taking in his surroundings like a kid in a candy store.

Suddenly, you arrived to a small, golden painted door. Fred swung it open - you were excited to see the insides, but as soon as your eyes landed on the room, you were twisted with disappointment.

Lizards. Dragons. Lizard Dragons. Lizard-Dragon costumes. It was the ninth stage of Hell you had learned about in Roman Mythology.

"Wow, Fred." said Gogo. She poked an action figure of some superhero. "Nice... collections."

"It took me forEVER to get all the complete sets." Fred bragged. He wiped some dust off of a shelf full of comic books. "Not to mention five weeks of mowing the lawn for allowance."

"You still get allowance?" said Hiro. "And you're seventeen, right?"

All of the words spilled from their mouths, but the meanings never crossed the barrier of curiosity that wrapped around your brain at the moment. You were staring at each of Fred's comics, figurines, masks, suits, and any other items that were unfamiliar to you. Near his bed, there were two small lizards; one was painted to look like the hulk, and the other IronMan. You weren't sure whether to feel impressed or confused at them, but you couldn't break your gaze away from the little pair of purple shorts on the first lizard.

"Here." you heard Hiro call your name. You cut your focus on the cosplaying reptiles and walked over to his side.

He grabbed a towel from a chair and began to wrap you in it. Your teeth instantly knocked together from the warm tingle that ran down your spine. You pulled the fluffy white fabric closer around your collarbone and let Hiro lead you to a bed.

You paused. _Isn't this Fred's bed?_ You signed, with a strong expression of caution on your face.

"Yeah, I'm sure he doesn't mind, though." Hiro said, shrugging innocently. "You need the sleep. I'm guessing the water didn't help your throat at all."

 _Hiro, I don't have anything left in my throat to take a toll on._ You were a bit annoyed that he would place any hope in your shriveled vocal cords. _Plus, that's not what I meant - is the bed clean?_

Hiro faltered, staring into your eyes, and then the bed. "You've got a point there."

"There are no harmful bacteria on this surface. It is safe to interact with."

You jumped at the sudden voice and saw Baymax on your other side. He looked at you blankly.

"Your body temperature is still - low. It does not appear to be rising like my other patients. I will use my heating simulators to elevate it back to your average temperature."

Hiro backed away as the plushy Baymax enveloped you in his arms. You began to feel warm and sleepy, and your eyelids were begging to fall shut. You let the robotic nurse slowly shuffle you to the couch and set you beside him. Snuggling closer to the warmth, you let the muted sounds of voices fade around you.

A hand slowly touched your cheek, followed by two warm lips on your forehead. You smiled, and kissed the air in response.

You squinted your eyes through the dense cloud of smoke, looking for any of the bright exit signs. Alarms were screaming around you, people were crying for help, but the loudest sound of all was the voice.

He was screaming your name, over and over, sounding closer each time. You tried to answer, but there was no air to supply a sound. But you _knew_ you had a voice. You had used it just five minutes ago, telling your mother goodbye. Where was it now? The cries from the man grew more concerned, more desperate. You tried again and again to scream in reply, but the smoke filled your lungs with each breath.

Finally, giving up on speech, you broke into a run. You knew he was going to die if you didn't find him. Once he saw you, you would run out of the building just in time. But he had to get to you, or you had to get to him. Your feet pounded against the flaming carpet, and tongues of fire licked your ankles as you went by.

Suddenly, you saw him. He was standing in the middle of burning rubble, baseball cap in his hand, charcoal smudged across his face. His whole left side was burned, the skin red and loose around his body. You screamed, and only now did your voice find it's was across your vocal cords. The pain from your throat caused you to cry; you felt blood running down your chin, and you wiped it away across the back of your hand in horror.

Tadashi never saw you. He was searching for a way out of the fire, leaping from the flames that jumped out of him. He was grimacing from the burns on his body. His eyes were wide with fear. He called out to you: "Please stop this now!"

You cried more, due to the sharp pierce those words had punctured into you. You knew you were doing this to him, you wouldn't let him escape from the flames. But you didn't know how to save him. You tried to run towards him, until a searing heat clawed at your arm.

Another scream escaped your mouth, and more blood trickled out of your mouth with each cry. Tearfully, you turned to your left side, seeing a layer of microbots engulfing it. They traveled down your side as well, and you tried to wiggle from it's grasp on you, but to no avail. They dug into your skin, melting it away and tearing it apart. You tried to pull it off of with your free hand, but fire jumped out at it before you could even touch the tiny robots.

A flaming hand grabbed your throat. You were forced to look up by the firm grasp, and you felt your tendons strain with all their might to keep your head connected to your body. Your eyes fixed on what was ahead of you, and instantly a stab of fear struck your chest.

The blank face of a Kabuki mask bore into your eyes. It was twisted in red lines, weaving around the eyes, which burned a fiery gold. The face looked at you with menace, hatred, a burning desire to end your life. You couldn't do anything but stare back, wide-eyed, helpless from being caught up in the vengeful eyes, seeming like a cobra recognizing the fear in its prey's eyes before the fateful strike.

The hand closed tighter around your throat. The eyes narrowed. You sputtered from the blood filling your mouth and pouring over your chin, into the man's hands. You felt cracks from your esophagus resonate through your head, and your lungs froze. Things were tearing and ripping from your mouth to your chest, and all you could do was stare. He stared back.

He called you out again. "I'm burning! Where are you!? Help! Hiro!"

You punched and kicked with your last breath. Someone in front of you had their hands clamped around your wrists. Your legs were pinned down under the weight of their knees, which were bony and thin. You refused to open your eyes. You didn't want the Kabuki man to be the last thing you saw before death.

The hand on your chin was still there, except now it was smaller, gentler, and now it moved slowly towards your cheekbone and brushed your sweaty hair from your face. You paused, the sudden change of touch intriguing you. Slowly, your eyes defied your emotions and opened wide.

No Kabuki mask. No golden eyes. No red lines. Only two, concerned, frightened, familiar chocolate-brown eyes.

Hiro was pinning you down, both your wrists in one hand, knees on your legs, one hand softly caressing your head. He was panting heavily and his body was shaking uncontrollably, as was yours. You continued to stare into his eyes, wondering what he had just saved you from, what he had just taken on himself to protect you; but, as far as you could tell, he was safe.

You then realized that you were streaming waterfalls from your eyes. You quickly used the back of your sleeve to wipe them away, trying to hide them from Hiro, although you knew he had at least seen them a while before you woke up. You sniffled and took in your surroundings: a room, pale walls, an expensive-looking bed, large satin curtains... were you still in Fred's house?

He said your name softly, wearily. "What happened? What did you see? Calm down, please calm down..."

At that point, you couldn't take it any longer. You reached a shaky arm out to him, and he immediately embraced you tightly. You buried your face into his mopped hair, breathing in his scent. It erased the memory of the smoke from your mind. You roughly gripped the hood of his sweatshirt, subconsciously vowing to never forget the feel of it.

Hiro's face was in the crook of your neck. "It's ok, just please calm down." He softly shushed you, and re-positioned himself so that you could sit between his legs. You leaned against his chest, desperately trying to slow your breathing. You let his heartbeat pulse its way through your body, trying to match it with yours. You didn't want to close your eyes, hardly even to blink. You tried to focus on his hands around your waist, his warm breath on your neck, anything that would distract you from the dream. Still, the tears wouldn't stop flowing, even when he wiped them away every few seconds, as he rocked you back and forth like a child.

 _I killed Tadashi,_ you whispered, _Hiro, I'm so sorry, I killed him, he went into the fire after me, I'm sorry -_

Hiro interrupted you with a soft hush. "No, you didn't, it's not your fault, you didn't do anything. I promise you, you're safe, you're ok, you didn't kill him."

You let Hiro ramble on about how you didn't cause anything, appreciating the warmth and kindness in his voice. But you knew that he was just worried about your current emotional state. You knew that if you had just not been in the building then, Tadashi would still be alive to make Hiro happy.

You placed your head against Hiro's chest and sobbed harder, wishing that you could have at least gained something good about yourself in exchange for your voice.


	7. Chapter 7

Three months had gone by since you had seen the Kabuki man. Hiro had officially made a superhero team out of the seven of you, although he didn't refer to it in that term (he called it the "Rescue Squad," but everyone agreed with Fred that you all were more of a Superhero team). Baymax was scanning the entire of San Fransokyo now and then to find the Kabuki man's location, and occasionally the masked villain would be too far away to show. Fred's parents were still not home, which gave Hiro full access to their garage and therefore allowing him to build 'super suits' for everyone, based on their favorite science category. You weren't particularly fond of science (you only enjoyed viewing what Hiro had created, but you never understood the chemical names or wiring crap), so you had yet to figure out what sort of 'powers' you would have incorporated into your suit.

Paired with the anticipation of that, you also several panic attacks from recurring nightmares of the SFIT fire. They were mainly the same: Tadashi, standing amidst the flames, calling out your name and pleading for you to wake up and end the torture; the blood that choked you every time you screamed; the searing, ripping, biting pain of fire crawling up your arm and along your face; the Kabuki man, suffocating you and tearing your neck from your spine until you woke up from the lifelike pain, sweaty and whisper-screaming.

Not only did this diagnose you with insomnia, it also made the gang extremely cautious around you. They wouldn't mention Tadashi at all, not even the happy memories everyone had with him. No one had bothered to question the microbot-patterned burn on your arm, though it was obvious to anyone. Hiro never left your side; of course, you didn't have any problem with that, but you knew he wanted to be doing something else, such as upgrading Baymax, making super suits, or playing video games, even if it was with you. So you mostly hung out in Fred's garage, which let him kill two birds with one stone. He could do whatever he wanted as he kept an eye on you, watching for any sudden panic attacks.

It was on this particular Thursday afternoon, you were having fun with Honey and Fred as she tested her new suit. You would push random buttons on her purse, creating some haphazard chemical reaction in sphere form, and then she would toss it as Fred to see what sort of reaction it would result in. Fred was currently covered in fluffy goo that wouldn't stop growing (you didn't bother to think that this might grow to the point of suffocating him).

You felt a tap on your shoulder, and turned to find a beaming Hiro. You smiled, curious as to where this happy mood came from, when he squeezed you into a tight hug. You tensed; he hadn't hugged you like this in months.

"It's finished!" he exclaimed, setting you down. "I finally finished it!" He kept his hands gently on your shoulders. The small gap between his teeth was showing, and his eyes bulged with excitement. You could see grease marks across his cheeks, and his hair was an explosion of fur. You were happy to see this optimism, to see him smiling from his own accomplishment, an not from making you comfortable.

"C'mon, lemme show you!" he said, and suddenly began to drag you by the arm to the other side of the backyard. Your heart raced a bit at this unexpected burst of joy from Hiro, and it rubbed off on you, causing you to run at full pace alongside him. You just then realized that he was wearing a combination of red and purple armor, which confused you even more; but as long as he was happy for his own reasons, and not because of you, it was all you needed.

Hiro skidded to a stop, releasing his crushing metal-gloved grip on your hand. "Wait here." he said, and disappeared behind a hedge. You took the time to catch up with your breath, and to shake off the feeling of your heart pulsing inside your ears. Everyone else had gathered behind you (Fred now released of his chemical trap), also waiting to see Hiro's finished project.

At first, seeing everyone in their own personally-designed suits, you felt out of place; slowly, that feeling eventually made you realize that you were a bit- no, you were _quite a big_ burden. You were a liability, you would only get in the way. You couldn't help them in any way, quest, fight, or even the smallest task they may take on. You wouldn't be able to communicate with them. You couldn't be a part of the team, because if something were to happen to you, no one would be able to tell if you weren't in sight - and that wouldn't help Hiro's anxiety anymore that it was now. You were simply just a single, silent audience.

After a few minutes of anticipation, Hiro returned around the corner, looking exasperated and gleeful at the same time.

"May I present to you-" he gestured behind the hedge "- the new and improved: Baymax!"

The next moments captivated your mind, as well as your breath: Baymax appeared around the bushes, dressed in full armor that matched similarly to Hiro's getup. He looked stern, almost as a general would before marching his army into Hell. Different from the carbon-fiber, baby blue armor he was wearing before, this new suit held his form that protected him better, and also portrayed him menacingly. You couldn't find the kind, robotic nurse with lollipops up his sleeve in the narrow eyes that now looked above you. Emotions of all sort colored your mind at this change of character.

"Sweet!" Fred shouted, causing you to resume your breathing and jump. "He looks like he's about to take down Sauron's army!"

The fierce, blood-thirsty machine relaxed back into his robotic-nurse self. "Hello." He waved in your general direction, and this new, welcoming sight made you relax as well. You were relieved to know that Hiro hadn't completely discarded Baymax's nurturing personality.

You now turned your gaze to Hiro as the electric marshmallow chased a butterfly; _Hiro, this is amazing!_ you signed. _He looks so- ferocious, it's hard to believe that's still Baymax!_

Hiro nodded. "And that's not all- watch this..." He stopped Baymax in his tracks, and you faintly heard Fred asking Gogo what you had just said.

A twinge of anger pricked you in the head; Fred didn't want to ask what you had said out loud, because he thought you would either be insulted by his constant unknowledgeable understanding of the art of sign language, or he thought that asking you might remind you more of how you're a "handicap" to everyone. Whichever reason he had, you had to fight hard to not let the anger show on your now tense face.

Distracting you from your thoughts, Baymax demonstrated a few more tricks and upgrades; he could shoot his fist at any object, read over ten thousand profile characters at once, and he could fly (not professionally). You watched every moment in awe, partially at his fighting skills, but more at the powerful mind encased in the gleaming sixteen-year-old you could claim to be yours. You never paid attention to what he did in Fred's garage; it had all looked like a college course of mechanics (which it probably was), but you couldn't imagine that he would make such improvements to the robotic nurse after dancing on the brink of death with the Kabuki Man.

Hiro landed Baymax back onto the ground and hopped off clumsily. Gogo gave a small round of applause, and Wasabi smacked him on the back.

"That was epic!" Wasabi said. "LOVE the fist!"

Baymax pointed his fist loosely at Wasabi. "Badladladla. This is a fist bump."

You now noticed Hiro excitedly walking towards you. You began to sign: _Hiro, this is amazing. I've never seen-_

You were cut off as he gently grabbed your wrist - failing in such under the crushing grip of his glove - and began to quickly tow you back to Fred's garage. You clobbered after him, signing against his arm: _What is it?_

"You'll see, c'mon!" Hiro now broke into a swift jog, with you dragging behind. Baymax did a fantastic job of keeping everyone else occupied with his new features.

When you reached the garage with him, you just realized the debris and clutter he had left behind from his effort and imagination put together; blueprints were strewn about the concrete floor, wads of wide-print paper, pencil shavings, and broken remains of chalk littered a desk, and you saw multiple, empty bags of gummy bears in the trash bin. You noticed where you had sat the whole time; a small blue stool, next to Hiro's work space, and next to it your stack of books. The paint on the wall had worn off from where you rested your head when he had slept on the couch.

You jumped when a loud clang ripped you back to the present. Hiro was standing amidst a fallen trash bin, it's contents of shredded metal, nails, and plastic pouring onto the floor.

"Sorry," he said, a cringe hanging briefly on his face. "Tripped."

You smiled at him as he resumed his actions. Clumsy, tired, goofy, loving... he was yours, and he was always frickin' adorable, no matter what situation he was in.

"Ok!" he exclaimed. "Here it is."

Immediately, he pulled out a mannequin dressed in sleek, black, modern armor. You were confused at first, but then it hit you.

 _Hiro,_ you motioned slowly, _is this my suit?_

He nodded, a proud, toothy grin on his face. "Took almost a month to plan, put together, and design. Fred helped a lot, and Honey Lemon gave some advice on the fitting. Do you like it?"

You couldn't answer him; you were too absorbed in the gleam of the metal. You could instantly see yourself in the suit, it was a given that it was custom made for your curves and size. The glove was intricately designed with rounded bumps on each of the fingers. Underneath the metal was a stretchy, flexible fabric that gave you easy access to movement. The helmet was gleaming and smooth, and you could hardly tell the difference between the metal and the visor.

This was what Hiro had been working on day and night. Your suit - it was more than a suit. It was the object with which you would return the favor off all the troubles and burdens the gang had brushed off.

Hiro watched you with uneasy anticipation. "Well?" he asked warily, "What do you think? Pretty neat, huh?"

You turned back to him with a beaming grin on your face. _I've never seen anything so... epic._ You couldn't think of any words to describe the amazing contraption that would soon give you purpose.

"Great!" He exclaimed, his face glowing with joy. "I need you to try it out, just to make sure it's comfortable. It should be short enough for you," he added with a smirk.

You playfully sneered at him, before heading to the bathroom to change. The suit hugged your body, stretching and moving wherever you moved, despite the modern-style metal armor. You displayed it to Hiro, turning in place like a Runway model.

He wolf whistled at you. "Wow, that looks better than I expected." he circled around you, fixing your helmet and checking the gloves (which were also quite big, like his). "Ok, now I wanted to show you a few cool extras I put into it - check this out!"

He pressed a small button on the side of your helmet. You heard the sound of a device powering on, and a few clicks followed after. Hiro stood back in front of you. "Say something; say your name."

You began to sign your name, before Hero's padded hand stopped yours.

"I didn't mean that, try to actually speak it. Like, there're these things in your throat called vocal cords, and when you breathe over them and move your tongue around at the same time, it makes noises that form words, if you do it right, that is."

You laughed quietly and elbowed his chest. Then, focusing on the helmet, you pronouncedly whispered your name.

Except this time, you didn't whisper it - you spoke it.

You froze, mouth gaping and eyes wide, stuck in the moment. You said your name another time, hearing it with tune and volume. Goosebumps traveled all over your arms and legs; you had just... spoken.

You whipped your head to look at Hiro, making sure you weren't hallucinating. He smiled at your reaction, glad to have pleased you - no, stunned you - with his extra tweak on your suit.

"So..." he inquired. "I'm taking it that you either love this feature, or you're extremely appalled by it."

You shook your head frantically. _No, Hiro, I love it!_ you signed. _I would wear this all day just to be able to speak, it would be so amazing, I wouldn't have to use my hands anymore-_

"Well, you don't have to use them now." Hiro stated, with a bit of humor in his voice.

You nodded sheepishly. "Sorry!" you said, so intricately, that it came out as a shout. It was just then that you realized: you weren't speaking, it was a translation of your silent words through what sounded like a teenage girl's voice. "How did you do this?" you asked.

Hiro grinned. "I was hoping you'd ask that." he walked directly in front of you and slipped his hands around your waist. You had to look up to meet his eyes (although he had always been taller than you, he had definitely grown in the past few months). "The helmet has an X-ray scanner, and it interprets what you say by comparing your jaw and tongue movements to some basic reader I downloaded to it. It can also measure the sound of your voice, even the mood, to make it sound more realistic. Plus..." he leaned over to press a button hidden to you, "...the group can also communicate with you, as long as we all keep our headgear on."

You listened intently as a sudden warbling filled your helmet. A few jumbled words, and then you could hear the group's conversation. You were a little shocked at first, figuring out that they were debating whether or not you would be able to take all the burdens of being a superhero.

Instinctively, you signed the words you spoke. "Guys! Shut up!"

"Woah!" you heard through the intercom. A small picture of Wasabi appeared on your screen, indicating that the voice you heard was his. "Wait, is that..."

"What?!" Fred interrupted him. "That's your voice? Epic! You sound a bit intimidating, though... Hiro, is there anything you can do 'bout that?"

Hiro laughed, happy with all the surprised responses he was getting from his hard work. "Nah, I think it's fine the way it is. It's just to make communication easier when we're..." he paused, not sure if you guys would actually have to do any dirty work, like the superheros you read about in Marvel comics. "...when we're experiencing difficulties."

"Sweet." you recognized Gogo's voice a millisecond before her picture popped up. "So will she have to use her hands anymore? Or is this ONLY for battle."

Hiro sighed, his face twisted with the same frustration you were feeling; they think that signing is such a tedious action, and you must be tired of doing it for years and years of being mute. "It's whatever she wants. She could do that, if she's willing to wear the headgear all the time." He adjusted your helmet to straighten it. "Look, guys, there's more than just a voice to this suit; she's not going to come on scouts with us just to talk. Come to the garage and I'll show you what else I've put in."

He pressed the same button on the back of your helmet, and sighed with relief. "Ugh, they just don't know how to stop yapping, do they?" he asked, while signing the word 'chatter' with his hand. You giggled, immediately jumping at the sound that erupted from the earpiece.

"We heard that."

The team was standing before the garage, faces expressive with impatience and indignant scowls.

"And by the way," Honey Lemon added, "I suggest that you remove the laughing detector. It's just scary."

Hiro smirked. "I'll work on it. But I want to show you something else..."

He slowly (reluctantly?) removed his arms from your waist, now holding your left, gloved hand with care. You couldn't help but notice how shaggy his hair was, and how much he had matured in the past month. You adored him, but you wish you lived with him in a paradise similar to Neverland.

"Ok," he began, tracing the patterns on your glove. "I've placed neutron magnets in your fingertips of the glove, which makes you able to attract neutrons to you; you could tear up a building, an animal, whatever - but what gives you control on how much you want, and keeps them from piling up on your hand, is a thin layer of proton magnets. They don't actually touch the glove, because I don't want you to fall apart, atom by atom. What you do is you move the neutrons towards any source of light. Sunlight is better, but anything will work. And this - " he tapped your helmet, " - links to your cranial opt, and it can read the motions of your eyes to see what your target object is; the neutrons will just move towards a light source on their own."

You stared at his eyes, trying to understand most of what he said. You failed, though, quite miserably.

"So," Gogo spoke for your confusion, "basically, she can tear the microbots apart? Just by looking at them, she can break their atomic make up?"

Hiro nodded. "Something like that, yeah."

You understood enough to know that you could pay back the debt of being a mute. You could help, not be helpless. You could fight, not have someone be your shield. And it felt _damn_ good to you. You quickly wrapped your arms around Hiro, resting your face in the crook of his neck. He laughed silently and returned the embrace, not sure why you were so thankful. You just held onto him tightly, overcome with a new skin of purpose and determination.

You could now protect what was yours.


End file.
